Thanks For The Memories

~01~ Who am I?

Darkness filled the land like water in a basin as a slight breeze blew through the grass and rustled the leaves. The moon’s beauty shown like a beacon for all to see. All in all, it would seem like a quiet, peaceful night.

But, as the saying goes: looks can be deceiving. The moon bathed me in its light like a spot light, giving away my position, and the people chasing me could see me as clear as if it were day.

I pushed my legs to move faster to just make it to the village beyond the hill beyond the trees. That village would help me; it would send someone to help, wouldn’t they?

I could see the light from the village from my spot on top of the hill. I was too far away to see if there were people up and about this late at night, but I knew there were people living in that village.

Panting like a dog on a hot summer’s day, I struggled to catch my breath. I had been running from my pursuers since noon that day with little rest, for every time I’d relax, they would show up again. I couldn’t let them catch me, for if they did, they would bring me back to that horrid, evil, vile place.

I didn’t want to go back. They hurt and tortured me. They ran experiments on me like I was some sort of lab rat, which I probably was to their eyes. They sucked my strength for their own selfish, personal reasons. They only cared about power.

The tree line ended, and the only way to get to the village was risk running out in the open, which would be suicidal. I didn’t know what to do; I couldn’t stay in the forest forever, so I would just have to try it and hope for the best.

I took off with a burst of speed, adrenaline rushing through my body like a drug. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see the figures closing in. I knew then that I was going to get caught.

The kimono I was wearing was as thin as an overused dish rag, and it barely stayed on my body. It was too long, and my feet tangled themselves in the hemline like a ball of yarn. I fell flat on my face.

Hurrying to get up, I stepped on the hemline of my kimono and the kimono, which then ripped, fell to the ground. I hesitated, ashamed, but decided my life was more important.

My little incident had given my followers time to catch up. One pinned me down face first in the dirt and started punching my head into the ground as if I was some sort of punching bag.

Arms flailing, legs kicking, I tried to get up and free myself, but there were too many of them, all of which much more powerful than me. They hit, kicked, stabbed, and cut me.

I kept telling myself not to pass out. I was no good unconscious- I would be as good as dead. I needed to stay awake if I had any chance-any hope- for survival.

But, as they flipped me over, one, who wore glasses and had silver hair, grabbed my throat with his large hands and squeezed. I gasped for air like a fish out of water until everything around me started to spin. Slowly, light started to dim and fade until eventually, everything went completely dark.

---3rd POV---

“You’re such a loser,” Sasuke snickered at his teammate, who had tried and failed miserably to get the hang of tree walking.

“I know so,” Sasuke shrugged and folded his arms across his chest ever so aloof like.

Naruto, who was seething for way too long in his opinion, charged at Sasuke and pushed him out of the confines of the forest. They were in an open meadow. Perfect, thought Naruto, now he has nowhere to hide. But, before Naruto could attack, Kakashi popped up in front of them and waved his arm at them to shut up and be quiet.

Kakashi glanced around and walked slowly farther into the open grass. He had sensed the presence of other ninja, though now they were gone. Had they been enemies scouting out the village? The Hokage would have to be notified immediately.

“Find anything, Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto asked, breaking the silence. Naruto had never been one to keep quiet for long.

Kakashi shook his head. Whoever was out here was long gone by now. They had probably heard Sasuke and Naruto fighting. They had been loud enough to give clear warning that they were in the vicinity. Kakashi was ready to head back to the village, but something pink caught his eye.

Walking over to it, he found a beaten pink-haired girl under the solitude of a lone cherry blossom tree. After a quick check, he found she was still alive but just barely. Taking off his jacket, he covered her small, frail body. Picking her up, he ran down to the village, signaling Sasuke and Naruto to follow.

---Back to Normal POV---

Opening my eyes, I found myself in a strange, white room. Though I was quite comfy in the bed, my heart pounded. Where was I? How had I ended up here? Trying to think back, I found I couldn’t remember anything. I couldn’t remember anything leading up to that point. I couldn’t even remember my name. I was giving myself a headache.

Was this place some sort of a laboratory that ran experiments on its patients? Well, I was going to have none of that. Throwing the covers back, I pulled the tubes connected to my body off and ran to the window. My arms felt like noodles; probably part of their experiments, and I had a hard time opening the window.

Finally, it was open wide enough for me to crawl through. Just as I was about to pull my second leg over the ledge, a pair of arms were pulling me back inside. Kicking and struggling, my attacker had a hard time pulling me back in.

“Calm down! I’m not here to hurt you,” the male baritone voice informed me as he let me go, though he put himself between me and the window. He had spiky silver hair and a mask. A headband like thing was around his forehead pulled down over one eye. He looked nice enough.

“Look, I don’t know what this place is, but I’m not some rat you can run experiments on,” I told him defiantly.

He frowned, “Experiments? This is a hospital.”

It was my turn to frown. “A hospital?” I relaxed slightly and slumped to the floor. “I’m not injured. There is no need for me to be here.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You were beaten almost to death. You suffered a lot of broken bones. You are lucky we have a great staff of medic ninja, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to have lifted your hands enough to pull off all those IVs.”

“I was beaten?” I’d think I’d remember something that significant, but why wasn’t I able to. It was like there was a block in my head.

“Ya, we couldn’t pinpoint the perpetrators who did that too you; I’m sad to say they got away,” he told me.

Wonderful. I didn’t respond. There was nothing for me to say. I was beaten up and couldn’t even remember it. There was something wrong with my head.

“Do you remember the attack? Maybe something you remember can help us in locating them.”

I shook my head.

“What about where you were before you blacked out?”

I shook my head again. Nothing. I remembered nothing.

“I need to go talk to the Hokage, my students Naruto and Sasuke will sit with you,” he said. Ya, probably because he didn’t trust me to just sit there and not try to escape.

I didn’t say anything as I coward in a corner and brought my knees up and rested my chin on my knee. Lost in my own world, I didn’t notice the two boys come in until they were right in front of me. The blonde one sat right in front of me and the raven haired one stood against the wall.

“So, what’s your name?” the blonde asked. “I’m Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage, and that’s uh, Sasuke Uchiha. The guy from earlier was our sensei, Kakashi.” There was that word again, Hokage. What did it mean?

I didn’t answer his question because I didn’t know.

Naruto frowned as he glanced at Sasuke as if he’d know what to do. As if these two kids could be of any use to me. If I didn’t know who I was, how were they supposed to?

We sat in silence for a few minutes before an old man and the guy from earlier came in. “I’m the Third Hokage,” the old guy introduced himself. Hokage. So that was what it was. He looked like he was of royal blood the way everyone seemed to follow him.

I just stared at him. I had nothing to say.

“Do you remember anything before you awoke here?” the Hokage asked me.

I shook my head in response.

The old guy strode over in front of me and knelt at my side. “We found this dog tag around your neck when you were found. Do you have any idea what it means?” he pulled the dog tag from the folds of his robes. He handed it to me. Looking it over, I found that there was a number on the front.

“We think that that was your number, what they used to distinguish between everyone,” Kakashi told me

54B-34. It didn’t ring a bell. I turned it over and saw a snake engraved in it. What did that signify? Snakes weren’t usually symbols of good things.

Now that I knew I was part of some evil lord’s plans, what was going to happen to me?

As if reading my thoughts, the Hokage answered, “The men that beat you are still out there. I think the best way for you to be protected is to assign you to a team, and beings you are already familiar with Kakashi’s team, I think you should be with them.”

“Team of what?” I asked.

“Ninja.”

“Oh.” Ninja? Was I a ninja too?

“As to your living arrangements, there are some apartments open. But I suggest the one closest to Naruto’s, that way if you need anything, you needn’t go far to find help.”

I nodded again.

“Wonderful. Naruto, why don’t you show her to her new home?”

“Sure thing,” Naruto nodded. “Come on.”

I followed him out of the hospital like a lost puppy dog, but that was just what I was: lost.

As Naruto was walking out with me, with Sasuke flanking us, Naruto said, “So, I think we should come up with a name for you.”

“You’re probably right. What did you have in mind?” I asked, curious.

“Well, we did find you under a cherry blossom tree. What about Sakura?” he suggested.

“Sakura?” I tried out the name. “I like it.”

“Good. Plus, I think the name goes well with your hair. Do you think it’s natural?”

I shrugged. “Who knows, but it definitely would be weird. Who has naturally pink hair?”

---3rd Point of View---

Once Naruto, Sasuke, and the young girl had left, Kakashi glanced at the Hokage. “Shouldn’t we tell them what we think that dog tag means?”

The Hokage shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. We wouldn’t want to alarm them.”

“But, don’t they have a right to know?” Kakashi argued.

“The serial number on the back only suggests that she was a prisoner, not a servant of his.”

“I am well aware of that, but, if she is an amnesiac, then the slightest thought could trigger a memory. What if we were wrong, and she’s his right hand man? What if she was a trap?” the copy-cat ninja thought aloud.

“That could be the case, but I am hoping that we can curb her of her evil side if that is the case.”

“I understand.”

“Your main priority is to protect her from Orochimaru at all costs. Even if she is linked, it could very well have been broken by her loss of memory.”